Recommendations from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs on agricultural work fraud in Australia

In order to prevent individuals and organizations from taking advantage of information about the Agricultural Labor Program in Australia to defraud and collect money from workers; on May 17, 2024, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Nghe An province issued Official Dispatch No. 2078/SLDTBXH-LDVL on coordinating information toprevent fraudabout the agricultural labor program in Australia.

The Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs requests the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to direct competent agencies to organize information and propaganda to local workers to absolutely not register with any individual or organization (including individuals and organizations claiming to be representatives of employers in Australia) to participate in the agricultural labor program in Australia until the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam officially announce the list of Vietnamese service enterprises, public service units selected to participate in the PALM Program and units selected by the Australian side to implement the Program.

At the same time, promptly detect and handle individuals and organizations that go to localities to propagate and recruit workers to participate in the above program without guidance documents from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs according to the provisions of law.

The Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs will coordinate and widely inform about the details of the Program's implementation as soon as there are instructions and implementation from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

According to the official dispatch dated March 1, 2024, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia signed a Plan to implement the Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Government and the Government of Vietnam on supporting Vietnamese citizens to work in the agricultural sector in Australia under the PALM Program (the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility).

Accordingly, the two sides will agree to select an implementing unit (an enterprise licensed to operate a service of sending Vietnamese workers to work abroad under contract, a public service unit with the function of sending Vietnamese workers to work abroad, and a unit with legal status representing Australia in Vietnam) to send 1,000 Vietnamese workers to work in the agricultural sector in Australia, starting in 2024.

Currently, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam are coordinating to select qualified Vietnamese enterprises and public service units to participate in the PALM Program and legal entities in Vietnam to represent Australia in performing the task of supporting and providing information about the program to workers, guiding enterprises and workers in applying for visas to work in Australia, and organizing free training courses for workers before departure.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam will publicly announce on mass media: press agencies, radio and television stations at the central and local levels, the electronic information portal of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Department of Overseas Labour Management and the fanpage of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam for service businesses and eligible workers to register to participate in the Program.

Recently, there have been a number of organizations and individuals impersonating those selected by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Australian side to recruit and collect money from workers in violation of the law, posing a risk of insecurity and disorder in some localities. To prevent organizations and individuals from taking advantage of information about the program to defraud and collect money from workers in violation of the law, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs respectfully requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to direct competent agencies to organize information and propaganda to local workers about not registering or paying money to any organization or individual to participate in the agricultural labor program in Australia until the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam officially announce the list of Vietnamese service enterprises, public service units selected to participate in the PALM Program and units selected by the Australian side to implement the Program.